Ever since researching classic girl detectives for a paper in 2008, I wanted to read the adventures I had only read about. For this column, I originally chose the topic of children’s mysteries. I realized that needed to be narrowed a bit. Then I remembered the girl detectives. Now was my chance to read more! … Read more »
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre remains a cultural touchstone 174 years after its debut. It is one of the best examples of Gothic Romanticism, a predecessor of modern domestic suspense. Gothic novels are characterized by sensational aspects, such as strange noises, dark houses in desolate settings, shattering secrets, and women in distress. But Jane Eyre was… Read more »
Recently in this column, I discussed real authors featured as fictional sleuths. But I discovered that real authors are sometimes real sleuths as well. Some seek to fight injustice and others become swept up in a mystery or crime. Some find the answers, some don’t, and some are the mystery rather than the sleuth. But… Read more »
In today’s #OwnVoices interview, we pivot to a type of difference near and dear to me – neurodiversity. I spoke with Elizabeth Little about her novel Pretty as a Picture, which features a main character, film editor Marissa Dahl, who is autistic. Little herself is autistic and the mother of a son with autism, as… Read more »
A boarding school furnishes the perfect setting for a mystery/thriller. They provide the claustrophobia of the locked room mystery and are often in an isolated location. They also have a long history of teenagers and their combustible emotions, which gives the perfect opportunity to incorporate the supernatural (sometimes explained away, sometimes literally supernatural). My favorites… Read more »
This week our #ownvoices series shifts slightly from the experiences of BIPOC mystery/thriller writers to share the story of a woman who endured an extraordinary event and became part of a large and varied group – people with disabilities both seen and unseen. Linda Olson was a young med student and wife in 1979 when,… Read more »
One of my favorite types of books is historical fiction, so it stands to reason that I love historical mysteries. Imagine my happiness at discovering mystery series starring famous writers as sleuths. I’m surprised I was able to stand my excitement when I discovered mystery series with mystery authors as the sleuths. The following seven… Read more »
[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing mission to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marcie Rendon, Ausma Zehanat Khan and Adam Smyer.] About Sheena Kamal Sheena… Read more »
[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing mission to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices like this one with Adam Smyer. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marcie Rendon, and Ausma Zehanat Khan.]… Read more »
[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing missions to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Marcie Rendon.] About Ausma Zehanat Khan Ausma Zehanat Khan is the… Read more »
